A “catastrophic implosion” like the one believed to have destroyed the submarine Titan would have happened with incredible force and speed, given the crushing pressure of the water on the ocean floor.
The remains of the Titanic rest on the seabed in the North Atlantic Ocean at a depth of about 3,800 meters. At sea level, atmospheric pressure is 14.7 psi (unit of measurement)
The water pressure at the depth where the transatlantic is located is multiplied by 400 relative to sea surface values, nearly 6,000 psi.
In comparison, the bite of a great white shark exerts a force of nearly 4,000 psi, according to Scientific American.
In an implosion caused by hull failure or some other reason, the submarine would collapse within milliseconds, crushed by the immense pressure of the water. The occupants of the airlock would be dead almost instantly.
Built by OceanGate of Everett, Washington, the Titan was designed to withstand the extreme water pressure in the depths of the Titanic and had made previous dives to the site of the ship that sank in 1912.
But safety concerns have been raised, most notably in a lawsuit involving OceanGate’s former director of maritime operations, David Lochridge, who was fired in 2018 after being warned about Titan’s “experimental” carbon fiber hull.
Roderick Smith, an engineering professor at Imperial College London, said the accident was likely due to “faulty pressure hull” but that the wreckage had to be salvaged for a full investigation. And even then, it can be difficult to pinpoint the cause.
“The violence of the implosion means it can be very difficult to determine the sequence of events,” Smith said.
Source: DN
